Street guide or sign.



' nu. nexosazm Patented nec, le, |902.

` F. u. PLUMBLY. STREET GUiDE 0R SSGN.

` (Application #had Fok I?. 1902.

(No Modal.)

TTORNEYs'.

FREDERICK K. PLUMBLY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STREET GUIDE OR SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,098, dated December16, 1902. Application iiled February 17, 1902. Serial No. 94,401. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK K. PLUM- BLY, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street GuidesAor Signs, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming l'a part thereof.

My invention relates to guides or signs for streets or highways; and itconsists in certain improvements, novel details of construction, andcombination of parts,as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The objects of my invention are to simplify the construction of guidesor signs of this description, to lessen the cost of manufacture thereof,and to construct a guide or sign which may be readily applicable toposts at present in use and which may be conveniently employed inconnection with electric-light, gas, or oil lamp posts.

I will now proceed to describe-a street guide or sign embodying myinvention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a street guide orsign embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a View of same with certain partsin central vertical section and other parts in elevation. Figs. 3 and 4are detail views in perspective of certain coup-` ling-pieces employed.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a street guide or sign embodying myinvention applied to an ordinary gas-lamp post.

As acentral support I provide a stem, designated in the drawings by thereference character l and which in the present embodiment of myinvention consists of a tube 6r pipe. Upon opposite sides of thistubular stem or support are two sets of sign-plates 2 and 3. Thesign-plates of each set are arranged ba'ck to back andare securedtogether at their outer ends, as by rivets 4. The signplates arepreferably of metal and may conveniently be of lenameled iron; butthematerial of which they are composed is no part of this invention, andthey may be composed of any desirable material. A coupling-piece 5surrounds the said stem and engages the lower edges of the platescomprising the lower set 3. Another similar coupling-piece 6 also whichthe stem lis adapted to pass, and there are shouldered portions 8, bywhich a small portion of the sides of the sign-plates,as well as theedges thereof, are embraced. These shouldered portions hold the signplates against the central stern or support and tend to preventaccidental displacement thereof. A double coupling-piece 9 is provided,which couplingpiece also surrounds the central stem and engages with theupper edges of the lower set of sign-plates 3 and with the lower edgesof the upper set of sign-plates 2. This double coupling-piece is shownin detail in Fig. 3 and, as shown therein, has a central orilice l0,similar to the oriice 7 of the coupling pieces 5 and 6,upwardlyprojecting shouldered portions ll, and downwardly-projectingshouldered portions l2, arranged transversely of the upwardly projectingshouldered portions l1. These shouldered portions embrace the sides ofthe sign-plates in proximity to the edges in the same manner as do theshouldered portions of the coupling-pieces 5 and 6, already referred to.The coupling-piece 9 tends not only to hold the sign-plates against thecentral stem or support, but, further, maintains the two sets ofsign-platesin their predetermined relative positions with respect toeach other. I provide the lower end of the tubular stern or support witha stationary abutment, which abutment may conveniently be a socket 13.This socket may be screwed or otherwise secured to the stem or supportand will preferably project downwardly below same. I screwthread theupper end of the central stem or support and provide the same with alock- 'nut 14.

The parts may be assembled by first slipping the lower coupling-piece 5onto the stem until it rests against the upper edge of the socket 13, bythen placing the lower set 3 of sign-plates in position upon the stem 1so that the lower edges thereof are engaged by the shouldered portionsof the coupling-piece 5, by then slipping the double socket 9 onto thestem until it engages with the upper edges of the lower set ofsign-plates 3, by then placing the upper set 2 of sign-plates inposition upon the stem so that the edges thereof will engage with theshouldered portions 11 of the double coupling-piece 9, by then slippingthe upper coupling-piece 6 upon the stem until its shouldered portions 8engage with the upper edges of the said upper set of sign-plates, and,lastly, by adjusting the nut 14 into place and by screwing it down untilit firmly draws all the parts between it and the socket 13 together. Thecombination of elements thus described comprise in themselves a completeand marketable device. The device may now be mounted upon the top of apost specially provided for the purpose, and an ornamental knob or head,as 15, may be secured to a protruding end of the central tubular stem orsupport 1. If it is desired to attach the device to a gas-lamp post suchas is commonly employed, the lamp or head thereof may be removed, as byunscrewing sanne from the post, and the device may be secured to thepost in its place. The lamp or head may then be mounted upon the top ofthe device by screwing same onto the protruding end of the stem 1, andthe lamp-post may be used as before, except that it will also be used asa street and direction indicator. The central stem or support 1 beinghollow will form a gas connection between the gas-pipe of the post andthe lamp or head. I have shown the device as so applied in Fig. 5 of thedrawings. In a similar way the device may be applied to anelectric-light post, and in such case the electric wires will bepermitted to pass up through the central stem or support.

I have shown and described a socket as provided upon the lower end ofthe central tubular stem or support, such socket forming a stationaryabutment against which the lower couplingpiece 5 rests. It is obvious,of course, that the coupling-piece may be secured against longitudinalmovement upon the posts in other ways, if desired, as by rigidlysecuring it to the post by screw-threading it itself upon the post orotherwise. The socket has been shown as a convenient means for securingthe device to a post provided for the purpose or for attaching it tolamp-posts already in use, as described.

It is obvious, of course, that modifications of the embodiment of myinvention herein shown may be resorted to within the scope of myinvention; and hence I do not desire to be limited to the precisedetails of construction.

1. In a street guide or sign, the combination with a central stem orsupport, of two signplates arranged back t0 back and upon opposite sidesof the said stein, the said plates secured together at their ends,coupling-pieces upon the stem in proximity with the plates at theiropposite edges, one of said couplingpieces secured against longitudinalmovement upon said stem, and the other loosely mounted thereon, and anut threaded upon said stem, and adapted to draw the saidcoupling-pieces and the plates between them together.

2. In a street guide or sign, the combination with a hollow central stemor support, of two sign-plates arranged back to back and upon oppositesides of the said stem, the said plates secured together at theirends,coupling-pieces upon the stem in proximity with the plates at theiropposite edges, one of said couplingpieces secured against longitudinalmovement upon said stem, and the other loosely mounted thereon, and anut threaded upon said stem, and adapted to draw the saidcoupling-pieces and the plates between them together.

3. In a street guide or sign, the combination with a central stem orsupport, of two signplates arranged back to back and upon opposite sidesof the said stem, the said plates secured together at their ends, ofshouldered coupling-pieces, as shown, upon the stem in proximity withthe plates at their opposite edges, one of said coupling-pieces securedagainst longitudinal movement upon said stem, and the other looselymounted thereon, together with a nut threaded upon said stern, andadapted to draw the said coupling-pieces and the plates between themtogether.

4. In a street guide or sign, the combination with a central stem orsupport, of two sets of sign-plates, each set comprising two platesarranged back to back, and upon opposite sides of said stem, the twoplates of each set secured together at their outer ends, and the twosets arranged transversely of each other; a coupling-piece arranged uponthe stem and between the two said sets of plates, couplingpieces uponthe said stem in proximity with the plates at their opposite edges, anda nut threaded upon said stem, and adapted to draw the saidcoupling-pieces and the plates between them together.

5. In a street guide or sign, the combination with a hollow central stemor support, of two sets of sign-plates, each set comprising two platesarranged back to back, and upon opposite sides of said stem, the twoplates of each set secured together at their outer ends, and the twosets. arranged transversely of each other; a coupling-piece arrangedupon the stem, and between the two said sets of plates, coupling-piecesupon the said stem in proximity with the plates at their opposite edges,and a nut threaded upon said stem, and adapted to draw the saidcoupling-pieces and the plates between them together.

6. In a street guide or sign, the combination of a central tube 1, asocket 13, a couplingpiece 5, two sign-plates 3, arranged back to backupon opposite sides of the stem and engaging the said coupling-piece,said plates secured together at their outer ends, an intermediatecoupling-piece 9, two other signplates 2, also arranged back to back,and upon opposite sides of the stem and secured to- IOO IIO

gether at their outer ends, said last tWo signplates arrangedtransversely of the first two sign-plates, the said intermediatecouplingpiece 9 engaging allffour of said Sign-plates, a

coupling-piece 6 engaging the opposite edges of said last-namedsign-plates, and a nut 14 screw-threaded upon said tube, substantiallyas set forth.

7. As an article of manufacture, a street guide or sign having a centraltube l, a coupling piece 5 secured against longitudinal movement,tWosign-plates 3, arranged back to back upon opposite sides of the stemand engaging the said coupling-piece, said plates secured together attheir outer ends, an intermediate coupling-piece 9, two other signplates 2, also arranged back to back, and upon opposite `sides of thestem and secured together at their outer ends, said last two signplatesarranged transversely of the first two sign-plates, the saidintermediate couplingpiece 9 engaging all four of said sign-plates, a i

coupling-piece 6 engaging the opposite edges of said last-namedsign-plates, and a nut 14 screw-threaded upon said tube, substantiallyas set forth.`

FREDERICK K. PLUMBLY. Witnesses:

D. HOWARD HAYWOOD, M. M. CoNovER.

